


What Happened?

by MizuLeKitten



Series: Means to Recover [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Communication, Emotional Hurt, Lack of Communication, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 09:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11964453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizuLeKitten/pseuds/MizuLeKitten
Summary: His plan was that after he got back he would pull Lance aside. He would lay bare his feelings, what he had realized while they were separated.He didn’t think about what the lion switch would do to his lover.He didn’t think of this being a possibility. He didn’t think that Lance would run away. He didn’t think Lance would have a reason to run away.





	What Happened?

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the other parts or else you might be confused.

Shiro couldn’t wait to track down the others again. After being transported away by Black he had stumbled upon Matt, or, more accurately, Matt had stumbled upon him. Regardless, as the quintants dragged on Shiro had gotten more and more ancy.

He missed everyone. He missed Black. Most importantly, he missed Lance.

If there was one thing he was grateful for about being teleported away from the group, besides finding Matt, was that it had given him time to think. Shiro knew he had feelings for Lance long before he had stumbled upon him with Black and Blue and had willingly gotten tangled into their escapades. Now he had actually been able to think those feelings through.

Lance had always been a comforting presence, whether in battle or back at the castle. Shiro had enjoyed his company. He was a bit goofy at times, but that was a part of his appeal. He had realized how much that goofiness had helped them all relax, how it had slowly brought Shiro back to his former self.

His plan was that after he got back he would pull Lance aside. He would lay bare his feelings, what he had realized while they were separated. How he wanted to be more than teammates with benefits. How he had realized that he  _ loved  _ Lance for all his quirks, that he hoped Lance loved him for his.

He didn’t entertain the thought of Lance saying no. They had grown closer even before that night and the ones that followed. They had grown even closer afterwards. They had become so in tune with one another that it was honestly scary.

It never even crossed his mind what Lance was going through. That was a lie, he figured. He  _ knew _ that everyone was probably upset. He knew that Keith would be hard on himself and everyone else. He knew that Lance would step up. He knew that Pidge would dive harder into her work and that Hunk would have to step farther out of his comfort zone.

He didn’t think about what the lion switch would do to his lover.

“Shiro, I’ve almost gotten the connection to Lance’s pod set up,” Pidge said over the coms. Shiro nodded, refusing to look away from the distant red blip on his map.

He didn’t think of this being a possibility. He didn’t think that Lance would run away. He didn’t think Lance would  _ have  _ a reason to run away.

He was wrong. He should’ve noticed sooner. He should’ve seen the signs.

A low rumble in the back of his mind silenced his thoughts.  _ This is not your fault,  _ it seemed to say.

Black’s thoughts did not help. He couldn’t help but blame himself. He had been the one to disappear. He had been the one to throw his team into disarray. He had been the one that had gotten captured and cloned. He had been the reason they switched lions. He had to be the reason Lance was trying to run away.

“Lance!” Hunk called out as soon as the feed connected, Lance’s face popping up on their side screen.

Shiro felt the tension in his body leave as he took in Lance’s surprised expression. He was here. Well, not  _ here  _ here, but still close enough to reach. They could still get him back. 

“Hunk?” Lance asked, “Buddy, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be following me, head back to the castle.”

“Dude, no way am I leaving without you!” Hunk exclaimed, “You have to come back with me.”

“No.” Lance said, eyes darting away. “I’m not coming back. There’s no point in me staying anymore with Shiro back. Everyone has a lion, you can form Voltron.”

“Lance, if I may,” Allura interjected, “I am nothing but a temporary fill as a Paladin. Blue is rightfully your lion, and you can return to them now-”

“No,” Lance’s voice, soft when talking to Hunk, hardened. “I’m never flying Blue again.”

Pidge groaned, not having the patience to deal with this. She did not understand the situation. None of them did.“If this is because Allura’s piloting, she’s literally passing the reigns back to you-”

“I don’t care if Allura’s willing to step down. I’m  _ not  _ flying Blue.” The red blip on his screen sped up, showing Lance getting further and further away.

Shiro wanted to stop them, to interject, to say something, but he couldn’t. His lips were frozen shut as his mind tried to understand what was occurring. Lance loved and adored Blue. He had made that clear before Shiro had found them together, and it had only solidified more afterwards.

He did not speak out.

“Lance,” instead Keith did, “Red wants to talk to you.”

Lance grimaced, face torn, the only true hesitation he’s had this whole time. It was eerily silent for a moment before Lance nodded. “Okay. Okay, fine I’ll, I’ll talk to Red.”

Shiro watched in shock as Lance let his eyes close. He darted between looking at Lance’s relaxing form, and Keith leaning back in his chair. What was going on? How much had changed during his absence?

He had told Keith to step up, to become the leader, but he hadn’t ever thought he’d be  _ returning  _ to that reality. He hadn’t actually thought about what changes would occur in terms of their rocky relationship.

Nothing about Keith’s demeanor changed the whole time Lance was silent. He gave no hints as to if he could hear the conversation. He sat, and he waited. It was almost as if he knew a bit of what was going on, and was the  _ only  _ one that knew, or maybe it was Red communicating through him.

Shiro felt a shock of electricity through his system, and shook his head. He shouldn’t be jealous of Keith. He shouldn’t be jealous that he and Lance are finally getting along to some degree. He couldn’t help but be jealous though.

Shiro had wanted to be the one to help Lance. He knew that the idea of him sweeping Lance off his feet, fixing all of his problems with one conversation, was unrealistic. That hadn’t stopped him from hoping he’d know a way to solve his problems, even if it took time. Instead he was sitting here, waiting, with not a clue in the world about what was bothering Lance, what had drove him to leave.

A sigh passed through the coms, and Shiro snapped his head up to look at Lance’s screen. He had opened his eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, and was staring up at the ceiling. He muttered something under his breath before straightening.

“You want me on your ship?” Shiro tried not to dawdle on the way he said “your” as if it was never his to begin with, “Good. Don’t make me pilot anything. I’ll stay with Coran and Kuron and help on the bridge.”

“But buddy, I thought you loved Blue?” Hunk asked.

Lance snorted, rolling his eyes, “Yeah, obviously it wasn’t reciprocated.”

A flash of shame filtered through his bond with Black, and Shiro’s eyes widened.  _ There was no way… _

“If this is because Blue shut you out, you know that was because of the switch.”

_ No. That couldn’t have… _

“Blue has personally chosen you, Lance. Nothing could break that bond, even me taking over for a bit. Surely you can still feel your bon-”

“I don’t care if Blue wants me,” Lance interrupted, barely contained rage filling every word. “If they say they do, it’s a lie. I don’t want to get used like that again, I  _ won’t  _ get used like that again. You want me to stay with you guys? Fine. I’ll stay. I’ll help Coran, but nothing else.”

Fire boiled underneath Shiro’s skin.  _ It had. _

“Lance-”

“Allura, we should respect Lance’s wishes.” The words left Shiro’s mouth without thought. He was beginning to understand what had happened, beginning to realize that there was more going on than anyone else was aware of.

Lance’s eyes snapped to his, going wide, as if he had forgotten Shiro was there. Shiro’s heart sped up. He went to give him a reassuring smile, one that would let Lance know that Shiro was here now. He could come talk to Shiro when he needed.

Lance had already turned away.

~*~

“What did Blue  _ do _ ?” The words felt like venom as they left Shiro’s mouth.

They had returned with Lance several vargas earlier. No one had asked any questions. No one had known what to ask. Shiro had half expected Keith to do something, but even he looked at a loss. Eventually, Lance had returned to his room, not to be seen since.

That had given time for Shiro to think, and think he did.

_ Nothing,  _ Black’s voice rumbled out, only angering Shiro more.

“Nothing? It doesn’t seem like nothing to me!”

_ My Paladin, you misunderstand. Let me show you, please. _

Shiro frowned, but relaxed in his chair anyways. He allowed Black’s mind to meld with his own, allowed their thoughts to become one...

It all made sense now.

_ “I won’t be used like that again.” _

_ “Obviously it wasn’t reciprocated.” _

_ “I’m never flying Blue again.” _

“You didn’t tell him anything,” Shiro opened his eyes, staring straight ahead. This couldn’t have happened.

Black did not respond. There was nothing to respond to.

“You didn’t tell him anything. After everything you two had done, you just ignored him?” Shiro clenched his fist, rising to his feet and shouting as he turned, not knowing where to focus, “Why didn’t you tell me! Why didn’t you tell me so that I could’ve been there? He  _ needed  _ me!”

Shiro often took the blame for things. He did it unconsciously, almost religiously. It was his fault Kerberos failed, his fault that Matt had suffered, his fault that they were all in space, his fault he disappeared and left Lance, everyone, alone.

Silence stretched on, but Shiro could feel the regret, the remorse, spilling through their sensitive bond.

_ We did not know that he would take our silence thus. We had not… we had not meant to hurt him. It had not occurred to us that we  _ **_could_ ** _ have hurt him until Red had brought it to our attention. _

_ I had intended on informing you, but… You had just returned to me, my Paladin. Red’s cub and your copy could never replace you. I had pushed it aside, foolishly so. I didn’t know he was going to leave. I thought we had more time. _

Shiro ground his teeth, nails digging into his human hand.

_ Go, my Paladin. I know you do not wish to stay with me any longer. Your rage on your partner's behalf is more than understandable. _

“Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”

_ Do not blame yourself for what has occurred. It is not your fault, but the fault of me and Blue. You do not deserve to take that blame. I teleported you away. Me and Blue were the ones who hurt your partner. Go, if you require anything I will be here for you. _

Shiro nodded once before leaving Black behind.

**Author's Note:**

> We got ALL the different types of communication!  
> Isn't it great?
> 
> Next up is Keith's POV.


End file.
